Hours after longtime Lakers owner Jerry Buss was buried, and a day after a moving memorial service punctuated by eulogies from Bryant and other franchise greats, the team got back to basketball with a much-needed victory at Staples Center.

Bryant scored 11 points in the final 5 1/2 minutes, and the Lakers won for the seventh time in 10 games. They remained ninth in the Western Conference playoff race, 3 1/2 games behind Houston for the final spot with 26 remaining. Portland, which has lost seven straight, trails Los Angeles by 1 1/2 games.

Howard, looking for his sixth rebounding title in seven seasons, came in averaging an NBA-best and career-high 11.8 per game. The Lakers are 19-12 when he gets to double digits in rebounds.

J.J. Hickson had 22 points and 11 rebounds for Portland, which has lost five straight road games and 10 of its past 11 away from the Rose Garden. Nicolas Batum also scored 22. Two-time All-Star LaMarcus Aldridge finished with 15 points in 34 foul-plagued minutes after picking up his fifth personal with 8 minutes remaining.

Thunder 127, Timberwolves 111:

Russell Westbrook scored 37 points, Kevin Durant added 27, and host Oklahoma City snapped a three-game losing streak. ... The Thunder avoided losing four in a row for the first time since April 2009, near the end of their first season in Oklahoma City. ... Alexey Shved led Minnesota with 17 points.

Pacers 114, Pistons 82:

David West scored 18 points, George Hill had 15, and surging Indiana won at home. ...Will Bynum scored 17 points for stumbling Detroit.

Bulls 105, Bobcats 75:

Wizards 119, Nuggets 113:

Washington put on one of its best offensive shows of the season, putting seven players in double figures while taking down another contending team with a win over visiting Denver. ... Ty Lawson had 27 points and 12 assists for the Nuggets.

Celtics 113, Suns 88:

Jeff Green scored 31 points for visiting Boston in his first start of the season. ... Green started in place of 36-year-old Kevin Garnett, given a rest with Boston playing its third game in four nights. Green responded by going 11-of-14 from the floor and setting his season high for points.

Hawks 122, Kings 108:

Al Horford led Atlanta's balanced scoring with 24 points, and the Hawks overcame a slow start at home. ... Isaiah Thomas scored 30 points to lead Sacramento, which has lost four straight and eight of 10.

Mavericks 104, Hornets 100:

Vince Carter capped a 22-point performance with a three-pointer that gave visiting Dallas the lead with 6.5 seconds left, and the Mavericks held on for their third straight victory. ... Eric Gordon scored 23 for New Orleans.

Rockets 106, Nets 96:

James Harden and Carlos Delfino each scored 22 points, and visiting Houston tied its longest winning streak against any opponent by beating Brooklyn for the 13th straight time. ... Brook Lopez scored 27 points for the Nets, who played without starting guard Joe Johnson for the first time this season because of plantar fasciitis in his left foot.